The Test
by Violetta737
Summary: Lavender/Ron/Hermione.  Lavender has been competing with Hermione since the first test, and will go to desperate measures to win.  One-shot.


**A/N- Hi guys! I'm not sure how I feel about this piece, but I think that it is an interesting take on the whole Lavender/Hermione/Ron situation. If you read, please review!**

**Vi**

The Test

"You're a smart little girl, dear," her mother always said. "Don't let anyone get in your way." These words rang through the mind of eleven-year old Lavender Brown as she sat down to take her very first test at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her heart was pounding only a little; Transfiguration was her best subject.

When they received their graded papers the next day, her face lit up with pride as she saw the small, black 'E' circled at the top.

"What did you get, Hermione?" she asked, leaning over towards her bushy haired neighbor.

"An O," she smirked. "Although, I think that Professor McGonagall took off a point where my answer was still correct. I'm going to talk to her after class about it." Lavender sank back into her chair, feeling a bit sick. She had wanted to do better than everybody, but Hermione beat her on the first test.

"I'll see you in Charms," Hermione called as she left the classroom. This made Lavender smile a little. Maybe she would be better at Charms than Hermione!

As soon as she saw Hermione's feather floating up in the air, though, she knew that Hermione had beaten her again. So, she did what most kids would do; she leaned over and told Seamus Finnigan, whom she thought was kind of cute and happened to be sitting right next to her, that she thought Hermione was mean.

Excluding Hermione had never been her conscious intention, but it soon became clear in the dormitories that Lavender and Hermione weren't going to get along. Hermione talked of nothing but grades and how many times she had read _Hogwarts, a History_; all this did was irritate Lavender. Deep down, she knew it was because she was jealous of Hermione. _She_ was supposed to be the smart one; who would she be now?

Her first three years at Hogwarts flew by quickly. Lavender grew close to Parvati, which always made things a little uncomfortable between the three Gryffindor girls. Hermione's two best friends were boys, but Lavender was convinced it was only because they had saved her from that troll (alright, which was a little romantic), and not because they liked her or anything.

She eventually managed to find a role to play. Hermione already was the Know-It-All, so she couldn't be that anymore. However, she found that the boys talked to her, and flirted with her, and looked at her in a way they never did with Hermione. The attention was a little intoxicating; When Roger Davies kissed her (and he was a fifth year!), she felt a lot better.

It wasn't until the Gryffindors walked into Professor Trelawney's class that Lavender discovered there was something academic Hermione couldn't do. Therefore, Divination became her favorite class. Parvati followed, as she did with everything, and Lavender found she liked her new power a little too much; it was satisfying to see the look of frustration on Hermione's face every time she as beaten by Lavender. However, it wasn't long before Hermione dropped the class, and Lavender was right back to where she had been before. Jealous.

In their fourth year, Seamus asked Lavender to the Yule Ball. She was thrilled, and figured Hermione wouldn't be asked (just like everyone else thought.) She was floating on air until the day of the actual party, when she saw Hermione walking down the stairs with International Quidditch Star Viktor Krum. Not to mention the fact she looked beautiful.

Now Lavender was angry. Hermione had once again stepped into her territory. Yes, she liked Seamus a lot, but if a fourth year Gryffindor was going to be on the arm of Viktor Krum, it should had been her. Not Hermione. After a particularly hot and heavy snog session with Seamus underneath the staircase, she heard something that would eventually spark an idea.

"-ask me yourself, and not as a last resort!" Hermione flared before storming up toward the Tower.

A year and a half later, Lavender and Seamus had broken up. Apparently Seamus thought she was too much of a flirt, or a harlot, or something like that. Whatever, it was his problem. She happened to be lying in bed, remembering that wonderful night of the Yule Ball, when Hermione's sobs ran through her mind. She sat up, emitting a high-pitched squeak. She knew _just_ how to get back at Hermione.

"Hi Ron," she said a coy voice when she saw him at the Sorting Feast. He gave her an odd look, but seemed pleased nonetheless. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as she thought it might be. She kept track of him, like a lioness on the hunt. Wherever he was, she went. Not too obnoxiously, but enough to distract him from Hermione Granger. It was clear to Lavender, even at that point, that he loved her. Which definitely would not fit into her plan.

And then he was the hero of the Quidditch match. Lavender suddenly knew that it was now or never. She flung her arms around him and pressed her lips against his. After the initial shock wore off, he responded with a gust of enthusiasm. Mission accomplished.

She didn't know how long it would take Ron to realize that he loved Hermione, or how long it would take herself to realize that the only boy she would ever love was Seamus Finnigan, but for now, she was happy.

For the first time in her life, she had beaten Hermione at a test.


End file.
